Railway track structure



June 11, 1935." H, ETHERIDGE v 2,004,369

l RAILWAY TRACK STRUCTURE Filed May 6, 1932 of the rail is provided by thei metallietskeleton of the same.

Patented June 11, 19375'V l n l n UNITED PATE-N1# i A RAILWAY TRACK, STRUCTURE i u 'Harry'Ethei-idge, ZelienopleBorongm Pa. l ApplicatiomMay `61932;,Seriali:No. 6tl956-19` t .5" Claims.. (Cr. 238;1"15)} .y n More particularly myinventionrelates toi that of arrangement. oiy traek-Lfelements, williappear type of track structure in whichv thesupportszof from the following description;` t the rails are individual to therrails inI that;` they :Im the accompanying. drawing;y WhereijI-have doxnotbridge-.thespacebetweenlthezparallel railsl illustrated` aipraxztical. embodiment ofntheprinf 5m l.In modemlpra'ctice thesel supports arefusualiy eiples `ofi my` inventiom. lzisv a planv view 5 formedz'ofA concrezte. o1: like material andareaprof showing adjoining; portionsv ofi two: alinedz Vrails vided', withnretallicreinforcemenhandtis to the virithcfoneof,A my improved joint-supports for Ithe improvement in the character andtstructurezof rail-L .joint and'also-Vone of'. myv improved inter-` such supportsthat onezphaseof my invent-ionreze i mediate supports undenione: of thefrails; 1Q: lates;Y Mo'storltheuprior. artrelatingf to suclnin- 1 Fig; 2f alongitudinal verticalusectiontfof the 10;

dvidualraik supports: is characterized byztheuse joint-support shown in Fig. 1. Y` `Ogftheirmetalelementor elementsxmerely tot rein;-

a; crosssec'tionak view. oil vthe same force the concrete body of the `support-against taken; along the linerS-[Sf intlEig.r 1;..1v l such strains-and stresses "which the: concrete. is` Fig. 4 is avplanview of the,` metallic `skeleton 115;; lessvablefto resist;, l n ofgthejoint-supporm y f i Y Where the metal is used jmerelyr tolreinforceithe Fig. V51is afside-elevationtof the: same. t concrete, thelatterrtends,to smaslr,;w.ear.;4 crack VSeis a, sectional view of the,` intermediate and traeture'under. the: burden ciV travellingloads: support-taken, along the: line` 6-6f in Eigav 1f.

Intthefcase; otgmyiinventionuthe actualisupportlliigil'l:i is aplanview off themetallic skeleton Y i 20 @tithe rail-support, Whilelthe concretetbodyftunc- Fig. 8 isa side elevationI ofsuch. skeleton.` tions,: to: protecty the; skeleton against atmospheric L Fig; 91,15 at plan-,view on reducedl scaleV showing detenioratiomkeeps the elements of; then-:skeleton auseotion` ofrailway'trackntowhichfthe: principles l ypronerz., position.` under loadsgfprovidesfan ot inventioniare applied;y t t 2lid anchoragafor. the supportfin the; ballast; on other Referring rst'to Figs. 1 to 8\inclusive; lt rep'- 25. materialfof'. the. roadbedg and; supplies` the` necesa recents.` two alined. railway' rails` which are consary Weight foraneicient floatingzrailzannhorage; nected atf their joint by, Athe usual'fish-plates 2;

` Inmylimprovedlraltsupports;themetalliskelt Supporting thejointlisone of., my; longitudinally etenlcompriseszsuperimposed strataoof rings and disposed-joint-supports' 3,'While; shown as sup.-

30. elongatedjloopsofysteel,the ringsandiloopsialterport-ingl an adjacentv portionr of the; right. Vhand 30- nating in vertical; arrangement andrresting. upon rail is one of my transversely disposed. interl- Y each othen. and the rail; bears; upon; a plate of y media-tel suppcrgtsl, n A manganese or other steel of superior Wear-resist,- Refenfingfrst toit-he joint-support 31,*the same ingandi nonoxidizing qualities; whichlplate: is diis provided. With; a. metallic skeletoni comprising 35= rectly supporteduby the metallic: skeleton;` Thus a1ternatelyfarranged andsuperimposedl vstrata 351 the load is carried directly by themetallic skeleton ofV rings 5,- andv anv oblong *closed loop; 6..'` Such anclaisf.transferredV thereby togthe roadibedi: ,loopandringsarepreferably formedo atplate .l :,'I'h'eringsrandloops are :formedV otflattorplate material and::placed4 Withf their axesl vertical to material and their axes arevertically.` disposed; `Obtain full benet. of thegr'eatest Strength and thuslutilizingqtheir:greatest strengthnandi stiffness -fffnessl `7111x1711@ CaSe. Off the-.AOHPSUDDDI 3vthe 40 andialso enabling 4them'to enclose 'portionsofthe nl lgs 531e' @tithe ODv4 and' bottom` With the. 100D conenelmass andby. the remioniortnermgs and 1I1- the Center, Whilei in= Connection with the'inloopsto nstitclfifthe.mass` of concrete Vintolanrin-l termedlatesuppolt u leloopsre at' the-150D and tegavreinfor'ced Wholer i i d y bottom and the-rmgsl'nlthe center.` .Theupper Again the open character of thering'sandloops or totellesiPfunngs m thev Case 0f the joint- 451 provideslforfthe: freey fiowf of `concrete whenv the 'sup-Pom* provide' auf ndeTSuP-poft for the Steel latten' vrecast in` thermolds, solthatajcompiete all Putten" upon' '.Whchth? 'bases of* the. Tells i l it J f Y v ear directly. Tlus; plate` 1s. of Wear-resisting andumformnmg o'fthemold'l eected' i and nonoxidizing-l steel,` preferably manganese 5 0, Another Phase 0f my lnve'ltlof Cornslstts" of a' steel, andhas a latftoprsurfacev tov receive the 50? 116W alla IPPI'QYed parallel fall rauw-afn' which Y rails inflatl surface contact` y fue parailelirailsj areA .individuallySgpnorted by Y wheathejpintfsupptis formed it is casttup; l

10111# and? lntermedlafe SUDPOltS .111- aV novel side downlm-,atsuitab-mold,the'rail plate 'ibemugn inverted inthebottomvofthefmold.y A row then placed on the rings. The second row of rings is then placed in position on the loop 6 and the concrete is then cast into the mold. The body of concrete is indicated at 6.

The rail plate is provided with downturned ends la which are flush with the end of the concrete mass and is also provided on its bottom surface with spurs 'ib which are embedded in the concrete and thus'anchor the plate permanently tothe concrete. These spurs may be Welded or otherwise attached Ato the under side ofl the plate l or may be cut and struck down from the material o-f the plate. The plate is usually made of the same width as the base of the rail but may be slightly Wider, if desired. It will be noted that the rails do not Contact with the concrete. 1

When the mold is filled with concrete a lid is pressed down thereon, the underside of the lid Y beingl provided with a grid which may be like the inner surface of a waffle-iron so that an indented or Waliled surfacaas indicated at 9V aids in anchoring the support to the roadbed. The metallicskeleton extends down to` just above the outer surface of the recesses of the lowersurface of the support, the concrete covering the metal to prevent its deterioration by exposure without materially undersupporting the metallic skeleton;

The perimetral edges of the support are irreg- Y ular or fiuted as indicatedat IU to aid in anchoring the support in the ballast orY material of the roadbed.' Y 1 Y By providingvthe mold with properly shaped, removable sides and ends such contouring may be easily imparted. .Y i i In the case of the intermediatesupport 4Ithe rail plate i is transverselydisposed and is directly supported by thetop loop 6 which in' turn is supported by the rings .5V which Vrest upon and are supported by the bottom loop 6, all being embedded in the concrete body 8 having fiuted sides and ends and a walied bottom.

The rails may be attached to the'supports in any convenient manner, as the speciicmeans for rail attachment does not form a part of my present invention.

Thus I have for vthe sake of illustrationshown vertically .disposed sockets Il embedded in the concrete 8 in proper positions to receive the rail engaging elements I2 which may be bolts with washers or clamps which overlap the sides ofthe base of the rails.

The j sint-supports 3 are disposed longitudinally of the rails to prevent pumping fof the joints and cupping of the ends of the rails. To counteract tipping the rails are offsetY somewhat toward the outeredge of the joint-support. Thus in practice I have found that a ratio between the distance from the longitudinal center of the rail to the outer edge of the support, the upper edge in Fig. 1, and the distance between said center line and the inner edge of the support, the lower edge in Fig. l, of 1.2 to 1.55 eliminated any tendency toward inwar-d tipping of the suppe-rt under passing traffic. For standard railway construction, such as saylOO pound rails, I found the jointsupport of a length of approximately thirty-nine inches, a Width of eighteen inches and a depth of six inches was quite satisfactory. y

Y Referring now to the intermediate "supports, which is illustrated at 4 in Fig. l, thel same are placed transversely cin-theV rail with a greater area at the inner side of the rail than thev outer side of the rail to` prevent transverse tipping. I have found in practice if the area at theinner side of the rail, the lower side in Fig. l, is 1.35

times the area or length of the outer side, tipping is avoided.

In the case of the supports 4 I prefer to form the skeleton of the support by placing a'loop 6 at the to-p and bottom and interposing the rings 5 between the loops. The rail plate 'l is placed transversely of the support. The sides and ends o-f the support are luted and the bottom of the support is provided with a waliied surface as in the case of the joint supports. These supports may conveniently be of a width of about twelve inches, ofl a length of about thirty inches, and a depth of about six inches.

In installing the track for the use with my supports I employ the arrangement illustrated in Fig. 9, wherein one side of the track is composed of the alined rails la and lb, while the other side ofthe track is composed of the alined rails ic and ld. The4 rails are supported at their joints byY the longitudinal.joint-supports 3 while the intermediate portions of the rails are supported by the transversely disposed supports 4. 'Ihe supports 4 are Vplaced at about eighteen inch centers and about eighteen-inches or two feet space intervenes between the ends of the supports for the opposite rails. the opposite rails are connected bysuitable means, such as the tie rods I3 which may be mechanically connected to the rails or may be welded to their flanges so as to accurately maintain the gauge. In the case of electried steam roads the tie rods are Vinsulated so that the rails are not electrically connected. Y

It is obvious that'my invention provides a. sub'` stantial, eiicient and relatively permanent railway track structure. l

' It is to be noted that in my improved rail supports the load is supported by the steel and not by the concrete, of Ywhich latter a minimum is thus employed.

.The concrete functions in providing a stable anchoring of the support in the ballast or roadbed and as a bond to hold the metallic elements in position so that they may not shift under loads. The concrete also acts as a protector to VYthe metallic elements to preventtheir exposure to the weather and to dampness.

Again, by virtue of the metallic support in contact with the rail, the Vsummer heat 'in the rail is'V carried off to the earth, and thus dissipated, maintaining normal` temperature inthe rail and preventing expansionV and tendency to buckle.Y Y

The longitudinal disposal of the joint-supports prevents pumping joints and cupped rail ends.

The offsetting of the joint-supportsand of the intermediate'supports counteracts Yany tendency to inward tilting.

By the placing of the intermediate supports transversely of the rail and having the supports for the opposite rails entirelydisconnected a perfect balance `of the rail support is effected and the tendency of the entire' tracknstructure to tip is avoided. Y

The tie rods are placed between the-rail supports and as close together as will be found necessary, more being employed on curves thanl on tangents.

l. In a track support for railway rails, the combination of a supporting structure comprising superimposed strata of metal rings and oblong loops, a metal plate supported frombeneath by said structure and secured thereto, the

At proper intervalsV f 4. A track support for `railway rails compristhe bottom of the metal structurebeing made relatively thin, so as to protect the metalagainst rust While permitting theload `to be conveyedby the metal structure from therail to the ground without material intervention of the concrete.`

3. A track support for railway rails compris ing a plate upon which the base ofthe rail rests, and a supporting structure for said plate comprising `superimposed strata of metal rings Vand oblong loops, the structure being embedded in abody of concrete, the perimetral edges of the concrete 'body being deformed to improve its anchorage in the roadbed.

" ing a plate upon whichV the base of the rail rests,` rings and a metallic support for said plate `comprising 1 super-imposed strata of metallic rings and 0blong loops, and a body of concretein which the metallic structureis embedded, the metallic support beingcenteredunder the rail while the concrete body is extended further toward `the center of the track on the inside of` the rail than it is beyondthe outery side of the rail, whereby to prevent inward tipping.

5. 'An intermediate-track supportforrrailway rails comprising a metal platefdisposed at right angles to the'railxand upon which the basefof Vthe rail rests and to which' the rail isfastened' a metallic `supporting structure for saidplate comprising super-imposed strata of rings and loops,.said structure being embedded in concrete, and the rail resting; on the plate andbeing fastened thereto,` nearer -theouter end of the plate than it is` tothe inner end toward'thecenter of the track, whereby to prevent inward tipping of the raiL p Y HARRYETHERIDGE. 

